2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: #6 Texas A&M Aggies BCS Odds and Predictions

2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: #6 Texas A&M Aggies BCS Odds and Predictions: Apparently, nobody told Texas A&M that the transition to the SEC was supposed to be a tough one. Of course, the Aggies apparently didn’t tell anyone about quarterback Johnny Manziel either. Manziel ran and threw all over opponents in the country’s toughest conference, landing himself the Heisman Trophy and leading the Aggies to an 11-2 record. The dual-threat QB accounted for more than 5,000 yards of offense, and he had several big plays in Texas A&M’s upset of eventual national champion Alabama. As great as Manziel and the Aggies were in their first year in the SEC, they were still left out of a BCS bowl. In fact, they actually finished third in their own division, albeit in the SEC West Division that the Crimson Tide and LSU also call home. Texas A&M settled for trouncing Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl and finished the year ranked in the top five nationally. Heading into the 2013 college football season, most of the talk about the Aggies has focused on the off-field drama surrounding Manziel, but the follow-up campaign of both the Heisman winner and his team should be even more interesting.

The Good News:

The Aggies have the ultimate one-man wrecking man in Manziel, and he is back to lead on offense that fourth in the country in scoring, third in total yards and in the top 15 in both pass and rushing last year. Needless to say, the same unit basically led the SEC in every major offensive category. In addition to Manziel, Texas A&M returns starting running back Ben Malena to a backfield with three other highly-touted backs. Star receiver Mike Evans is also back, and while the line lost Luke Joeckel, his replacement Jake Matthews might be even more talented. On the defensive side of the ball, the Aggies will welc.ome back three quality starters that suffered injuries last year, including nose tackle Kiryb Ennis

The Bad News:

Only four starters are back on the defensive side of the ball, and star pass-rusher Damontre Moore isn’t one of them. In fact, the Aggies lost a bulk of their sack production from last year’s team. An even bigger concern for Texas A&M is the kicking game. Returning starter Taylor Bertolet went just 13-for-22 on field goal attempts in 2012 and missed seven extra points. Of course, the biggest potential problem for the Aggies is the status of Manziel. Allegations that he received money to autograph memorabilia are being investigated, and he has a growing list of questionable activities that include a bar fight, using a fake ID, getting kicked out of a frat party and constant Twitter beefs. Manziel appears to be struggling a bit to handle the spotlight, and it is fair to question both his focus and even his eligibility entering the 2013 season.

Outlook:

While the investigation of Manziel is far from ideal, the Cam Newton saga suggests that the NCAA won’t have the guts to drop the hammer on an SEC school. Even if the NCAA tries, Texas A&M is already lawyered up and the university will likely run over the sanctioning body that is already on trial for improperly using the likenesses of players and just had to pull jerseys and other memorabilia from its own Web site. As long as Manziel is under center for the Aggies, their offense is going to remain an absolute juggernaut. The Heisman winner is the ultimate X-factor, and he is surrounded by a ton of speedy playmakers. On the flip side, Texas A&M still resides in the SEC West, and as easy as the schedule is overall, an early visit from an Alabama team that will be looking for revenge and a road game in “Death Valley” late in the year against an LSU bunch that stifled Manziel in company last year loom large. The Aggies are one of the best teams in the country, but they still aren’t the best team in their own division.

Prediction: 10-2, Third Place in SEC West Division

Preseason Vegas Odds for Texas A&M’s 2013 College Football Team:
Texas A&M’s 2013 Odds to Win BCS Championship: +1200
Texas A&M’s 2013 Odds to Win SEC Championship: +650

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